Washington Proposes Construction PPE Update Requiring Proper Fit
- Washington State’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health proposed rulemaking Oct. 6 that would require employers to ensure that personal protective equipment properly fits each affected employee. The state’s current construction PPE rules have no such fit requirement. DOSH intends to adopt the revised rule March 2, 2027.
- The change would align Washington’s rule with federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration construction PPE requirements that took effect in January 2025. Neither the proposed rule nor the federal rule defines what it means for PPE to “properly” fit.
- The proposal also states expressly that employers are responsible for providing certain PPE and makes housekeeping changes, including formatting updates and typographical corrections.
- DOSH will hold virtual and telephonic public hearings Nov. 10 and Nov. 16. Public comments are due Nov. 23.
DOT Worker Critically Injured by Falling Tree Limb
- A Georgia Department of Transportation worker was severely injured when a tree limb fell about 40 feet and landed on him while he was clearing a tree from a roadway in Hall County, Georgia.
- Emergency responders took him to the intensive care unit at Northeast Georgia Health System where he was treated for a broken leg and ankle and back and neck injuries, with multiple future surgeries expected.
- A fundraiser said that the worker will probably never be able to work again.
Maintenance Worker Killed by Semi-Truck
- A maintenance worker died Oct. 12, after being hit by a semi-truck at a gas station along a highway in Louisa, Ky., according to the Louisa Police Department. He died at the scene, and his name has not been released.
- Police Chief Steven Wilburn said the worker was checking diesel containers because of the rain and was kneeling in front of the truck when the driver, who had finished pumping gas, allegedly pulled out without knowing he had hit him.
- A gas station worker noticed the body around 5:50 a.m. and reported it. A few minutes later, a customer found the body, realized the victim was dead and called 911 again.
- Police used surveillance footage to find the truck company and called the driver back in, and the driver returned to the scene immediately. No charges have been filed, and the incident is under investigation.